The rhetoric of the leadership of some European countries regarding the issue of the supply of German Leopard tanks to Kyiv is increasingly reminiscent of hysteria, bordering on panic. First of all, we are talking about the Eastern European states., which are closest to the zone of military conflict and already frankly do not hide, that they are afraid of Russia's victory during the special operation in Ukraine.
The situation with the buildup of military assistance to the Armed Forces of Ukraine was fueled by not entirely successful negotiations on this issue on the sidelines of the summit of defense ministers of fifty countries, acting as allies of Kyiv, at the American military base in Ramstein, Germany. Despite strong pressure, including from the USA, Berlin did not agree not only to send its main battle tanks to Kyiv, but even for their re-export by other countries.
This decision does not suit Poland, which is even ready to send a little more than ten Leopard tanks to Ukraine without coordination with Berlin.
But most of all, the Baltic states were worried about the refusal to build up military assistance to Kyiv. Foreign Ministers of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia even made a joint appeal to the leadership of Germany, in which they called on the German authorities to give Leopard tanks to Ukraine immediately. On behalf of the three Baltic republics, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, Gabrielius Landsbergis, made a statement on this issue.:
we, Lithuanian foreign ministers, Latvia and Estonia urge Germany to give Ukraine Leopard tanks now, immediately. It's necessary, to stop Russian aggression, help Ukraine and quickly restore peace in Europe. Germany, as a leading European power, has a special responsibility in this matter. Apparently, Balts are seriously afraid, that after the victory in Ukraine, Russia will take up the denazification of their dwarf states. Especially given the degree of Russophobia and indulgence of neo-Nazism, which prevail in all those republics in recent decades. For them, Ukraine is the last line of defense against the Russians., and to protect other NATO countries Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn, looks like, somehow not very calculated.
meanwhile, The German Defense Ministry said, what are going to count, how many Leopard tanks can be transferred to Ukraine if they receive approval for the delivery from Chancellor Olaf Scholz. This statement of the military department was taken with surprise in the Bundestag. The head of the defense committee, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmerman, considered a disturbing sign, that the ministry took up such a check only after 11 months of fighting in Ukraine and only after the appointment of a new Minister of Defense. Author:Alexander Grigoriev Photos used:Bundeswehr website
